32 RURAL ECONOMY IN YORKSHIRE IN 1641. 



ginne aboute the middle of July ; wee had (this yeare) a very 

 kindely springe, and the weather very moist, soe that allmost in 

 all medowes and hay-growndes, grasse j)rooved to bee very 

 stronge, and well gi'owne ; and greate store of bottome gi-asse 

 arose ; and besides it beganne to tume and dye betimes, soe 

 that wee had a very forward and seasonable hay-time. 



Mowers have usually lOd. a day, and meate themselves ; if 

 they bee to take a peece of grownde to mowe they will scarce 

 deale with it, unlesse they can allmost assure themselves that 

 they shall come to I2d. a day ; the tooles that mowers are to 

 have wath them, are sythe, shafte, and strickle, hammer to pitte 

 the strickle with to make it keepe sande, sande-bagge, and 

 grease-horne ; they usually buy theire sythe s att some faires 

 here-aboutes ; the price of a sythe is usually 2s. 2d. or 2s. 4rf. ; 

 sometimes they may bee bought for 22f/., and sometimes againe 

 they cannot bee bought under 2s. 6cZ. ; the best strides are those 

 that are made of froughy, unseasoned oake ; yow may [buy] 

 one for \d., but a good one will cost and is worth 2d. ; as for 

 sande, they usually buy it att Malton by penniworth and 2 

 penni worth es. Mowers will usually come afore five in the 

 mominge, and they then will sleepe an houre att noone ; yow 

 are to minde what time they arise and fall to worke att noones ; 

 yow are hkewise to see that they take tlieire full breadthes, and 

 cutte cleare att pointe and att heele, otherwise there is a losse 

 both of time and of gi'asse, when hee that followeth is forced 

 to cutte his foreman out allmost to his foote. A good mower 

 will goe the breadth of those broade-landes with a whette, and 

 take a broade-lande and more att fower sweathes, and when hee 

 hath done, yow shall scarce perceive his sweath-balke. 



In a moist yeare hardlande-gnisse prooveth better then caiTes, 

 or ing-growndes, and ridges of lande better then furres, for 

 water standinge longe in the furres spoyleth the gi'owth for 

 that yeare. Haymakers have 4(/. a day and ai-e to meate 

 themselves ; the tooles that they are to have with them are 

 onely shorte forkes and rakes ; if there be any odde ones 

 amongst tliem the odde ones should have rakes, for there is 

 more use for rakes then forkes. Wee have constantly fower, 

 or five mowers, and eiglit or tenne haymakers, because there 

 are many thinges belonge to tiftinge of hay ; as spreadinge, 

 and, sometimes, turninge, rakinge, and cockinge, throwing© 

 togeather, and castinge into greate cocke, carryinge o\it of 

 bottomes and lowe growndes with forkes and rakes, and in wette 

 weather tln-owinge out and tiftinge amongst. The best time 

 for sprciulinge of grasse is allwayes the next day after it is cutte ; 

 for the sooner that it is spreade, the sooner will it welke, and 



